


never too soon

by cherryvanilla



Category: As the World Turns
Genre: First Date, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-31
Updated: 2011-07-31
Packaged: 2017-10-22 01:02:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/231923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryvanilla/pseuds/cherryvanilla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Oh reckless abandon/Like no one’s watching you.” Written May 2010.</p>
            </blockquote>





	never too soon

Noah’s just woken up and he can see a little. You’re happy the surgery appears to be a success but didn’t count on how much their happiness would affect you. You keep thinking about earlier; how Luke didn’t shy away from your touch, hell he might have even started leaning into it if you weren’t interrupted. You can’t imagine the conversation he and his mom had although you are morbidly curious.

You look down the hall and see the two of them coming in from outside; Luke is pushing him in a wheelchair. As they approach you, you’re furious.

“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Dr. Oliver..”

“Yeah, Noah, it’s me. Were you just outside?” Your gaze slides to Luke; his lips form a frown.

“Yeah, we just.”

“He just wanted to see.. you know, outside, the sky and everything.”

“I didn’t authorize that, Mr. Snyder.” You figure that should piss him off a little.

“Yeah, I know. Look, I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, well next time don’t overstep your bounds! Although you might not think so, hospital rules apply to you too. Nurse! Please take this patient back to his room.”

Noah’s rather flabbergasted as the attendant comes. Luke can’t stop glaring.

“Noah, I’ll be right there. Just, give me a minute.”

 

When they leave, he turns to you. “What exactly are you doing?”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re jealous. You don’t care that we went outside, you’re just jealous because I’m hanging out with Noah.”

“Is that what you’re doing, then? ‘Hanging out’?” Your tone is incredulous.

Now he looks uncomfortable, as he always does when you call him out on bullshit. “Yeah, he. We, we talked. We’re trying to make a fresh start.”

“A fresh start,” you nod emphatically. “For whom? You or him?”

“For, for both of us.”

“What are you doing, Luke?”

He frowns. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Noah can somewhat see you and now suddenly wants you around after pushing you away. He made you feel like crap and now you’re just going to forgive and forget? Why?”

He furrows his brow like you’re speaking another language. “Because.. I’m trying to support Noah. That’s what he needs. I’m trying to be there for him.”

And now you’ve just about had it. “No you’re not. You’re trying to make up for the fact that you kissed me.”

He glares at you. “Will you.. Jeez. Just --“ He pulls you into a corner of a corridor; it’s somewhat secluded but not exactly.

“I am not trying to make up for anything. He needs me and I’m going to be there for him.”

“What about when you needed him? What about what you need now?”

“Reid, don’t.”

At least we’re back to Reid. It’s a start.

“Look, Luke, don’t treat me like an idiot. I know guilt when I see it, and it’s been written all over your face anytime you’ve looked at me the past two days.”

He looks away now. “I told you, it shouldn’t have happened.”

“Because you feel it was wrong or because you didn’t want it to?’

His head snaps up. “Why do you have to keep pushing this?’

“Because I’m tired of you not being honest with yourself.”

“I can’t do this. Please, just let it go.”

His tone is lost, begging. Begging for you to let this go; so he can hide where he’s comfortable and not take any risks. Well, you can’t do that.

You move in closer, eyes softening. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the other night.”

He visibly shakes and you raise your hand to his face, caressing softly. “Have you?”

His eyes fall to your lips. You study his face; want. You can’t stop yourself from moving closer, needing to feel him again. The air is suddenly laced with electricity. You forget where you are and --

“Luke?”

That wasn’t your voice. You both jump to find Noah and the nurse again.

“Am I, am I interrupting something?”

“No, uh, Noah, what are you doing?”

“I just felt like I should apologize to Dr. Oliver. Um, that’s you, right?” He turns his face in your direction.

“Yeah.” Your eyes meet Luke’s and you sigh to yourself. “It’s fine, Noah. I was just, a little on edge.”

“Okay,” Noah still looks suspicious (or maybe that’s just the squinting) but lets it go. “I’ll see you in a few minutes, Luke?”

You grind your teeth, hard.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be right there.”

When the corridor is clear again, you decide to lighten the mood. “Does this happen with just me or is it you and everyone?”

“What?”

“Interruptions.”

Luke belts out a genuine laugh that meets his eyes. You follow. When he sobers, his tone is flirty. “Maybe someone’s trying to tell us something.”

“..that I need to get you somewhere with no people, phones, or beepers?”

He didn’t expect you to go there and he swallows hard. You push harder. “Go out with me tomorrow night.”

He nearly chokes. “Excuse me?”

“You. Me. Out.”

He looks around again, embarrassed. “Reid, I. I can’t. Noah needs..”

“What? Noah did fine without you when he was fully blind. He can handle another night. I’m just asking for one evening,” for now, you add silently. “Maybe a movie or something.”

Luke scoffs. “I’m not going to go to a movie with you.”

You try not to let your flash of hurt show on your face. “Why not?”

He shifts from side to side. “It’s too… much like a date.”

“And that’s a problem because…”

“I. I don’t know.”

“Follow me,” you walk into an empty room because really, doing this in public is just plain weird.

You wait till he shuts the door. “You don’t want people to know you like me.”

“Excuse me?” He’s all outraged again. You love that.

“It’s true. You’re supposed to hate me and now that you don’t, you’re embarrassed by it.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Okay, maybe not totally. Maybe you also don’t want anyone thinking you’re not still fawning over Noah. You feel bad because your mind is on other things even though you’re broken up.”

“You really like telling me what I feel, don’t you?”

You pretend to think. “Well, since you’ve done it to me so often I figure I’d return the favor. Besides, wasn’t Noah on a date? That guy we both saw, through the window.. seems like he had other things on his mind at that point..”

Luke bites his lip. “Look, maybe you’re right, but it still doesn’t mean..”

“Look, Luke, I’m asking you to... I don’t know. To stop caring about what others may think or even what you think *you* should be feeling and do what you want. Go to dinner with me. If it makes you feel better, you can tell people it’s to thank me for Noah’s surgery.”

Luke frowns. “I don’t want to keep making this about Noah.”

You move in a fraction towards him and lower your voice. “Because it’s not, is it?”

He stares at you and finally, softly, says “no.” You feel like raising your hands in victory.

“Tomorrow night. You pick the place.”

“Okay..” He’s got that shy look again. You leave the room before you push him against the wall.

**********

Dinner goes surprisingly well. The restaurant he picked wasn’t right in the center of town, which you appreciated. Noah wasn’t mentioned once (a positive) except that meant you had to spend most of the time making small talk (a negative). You learned his favorite color is red (you make a note to buy some red shirts this weekend), he hates horror films (predictable), he loves ice cream (who doesn’t?), and he thinks Robert Downey Jr. is hot (again, who doesn’t?). Sadly, when you ask him if he’s seen Less than Zero, he looks at you blankly. You think maybe you’ll lend him your copy of the book. You briefly summarize the plot and geek out a little over the fact that the sequel to the novel is being released this summer.

You step onto the sidewalk after exiting the restaurant. Part of you wants a cigarette even though you quit ten years ago; you just want something to do with your hands. There were no touches over dinner but there were definitely many smiles and some significant eye contact.

“So, that was relatively painless,” you deadpan. He smiles and fidgets with his hands in his pockets. You’ve never been a ‘hand in pocket’ kind of guy; you envy him at this moment.

He appears to have run out of things to say. “Don’t you just hate that?”

“What?”

“Uncomfortable silences..”

He smiles at you and you think that means he gets the reference. God, you hope so.

“Are we gonna dance to Chuck Berry now?”

You guess there is a god after all..

“Unless a pimp paid you to take me out, that’d be a no.”

You both smile at one another, lingering. You decide to make your move. “So… you wanna come up to my place for a dri—um, for some soda?”

He looks uncomfortable. “I don’t know..”

“Well,” you pointedly look at your watch. “It’s only 9:30, so you can’t say it’s late.”

“What about Katie?”

“What about her?”

“Won’t she mind?”

“Luke, I pay half the rent too. It’s fine, she’ll probably be asleep anyway.” You sigh dramatically. “That woman needs a life.”

Luke grins. “Okay. For a few minutes.”

Uh-huh.

You try not to look like the cat that ate the canary. Small talk continues on the walk back to your apartment. You decided to pick back up on the Pulp Fiction comments and discuss the film along with Tarantino’s other works. Then you lapse into the English language, segued from Tarantino’s use of dialogue. His favorite word is “quixotic” (typical), his least favorite word is rape (you counter that’s more of an act than a word). Your favorite word is facetious (that generates a hearty laugh for about 30 seconds), your least favorite word is snuggle, snuggling, and any of its incarnations (after a snort he uses your own counter on you, stating that’s more of an act too).

As you walk in the door, Katie is in her robe heading back to her room. “Oh! Hi guys.” She’s grinning wolfishly right at you. You give her a pointed look.

“Um, hey Katie. Hopes it’s okay…”

She waves Luke off. “Yeah, yeah don’t be silly. Jacob’s sleeping and I was about to go join him.”

Now you give Luke a look that says ‘told ya so.’

“Have fun, you two.” Wow, she couldn’t be any more obvious but you love that about her. It’s been so long since you’ve had a fag-hag. You rather enjoy it.

You take off your jacket and Luke follows. You drop them on the kitchen chair as you make your way to the fridge. “So, soda, water..”

“Reid, listen.”

Oh no. What’d you do now? You are simply offering beverages..

He’s standing in front of the couch. “Before, I noticed you stopped yourself when inviting me up for a drink. And, I guess we should just clear this up; I’m a recovering alcoholic.”

You figured as much but you didn’t want to press him. You nod.

“So… I also notice you didn’t drink during dinner. I just don’t want you to think you can’t drink in front of me.”

“Luke, it’s fine. It’s only fun to drink in the company of others anyway. Plus, I don’t need the beer belly,” you add, dryly.

You approach with soda and water and experience deja-vu. You both sit at the same time and you silently hope this night will end better than that one. He’s looking at you with a grateful expression.

“Thank you,” he says as he pops the tab and takes a sip.

“It’s just soda,” you joke.

He looks at you, eyebrow arched. “You know what I mean.”

You shrug. “No problem.”

You both relax against the pillows and he searches your face while taking another sip. You wait.

“You’re not curious?”

You shrug again. “You’ll tell me when you want to.”

He leans his head against the palm of his hand, his eyes sparkling. “You know, I really don’t know what to make of you..”

You smile broadly. “And why is that?”

Luke shifts a little, tucking his leg beneath him. “You’ll push and fight with certain things and then with others you’ll just back off.”

“Well, I believe in fighting for something worthwhile..”

Your voice is full of meaning. You stare at one another for long seconds and something shifts in the air.

Of course, he then says the one thing that would douse any fire. “You realize we haven’t talked about Noah all night?”

You clench your fist. “I wasn’t keeping a running tally, but I guess so. Until now, that is.”

At least he has the decency to look chagrinned. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I just meant that since we met, all of our interactions have been based around Noah, for the most part. He’s just. I mean, he’s why you’re here, he was the point of..”

You stretch your arm out across the back of the couch. “Go on..”

“It just. It was always about him so. It’s kinda weird to sit and talk to you about stuff that has nothing to do with your work.”

“Good weird or bad weird?”

He takes another sip of his drink and smiles softly. “Good weird, but still weird.”

He has such a vocabulary. And now you’re staring at each other again, smiles playing on both your lips. He looks deep in thought, though.

“What’re you thinking about?”

He shakes himself. “Hmm? Oh, just. Heh. Had this weird thought of what it might have been like if we met under different circumstances.”

You don’t like the sound of his phrasing. It sounds to you like, ‘we may have had a chance if things were different but they’re not so we don’t.’

You play it off with a joke. “You have to create some alternate reality in order to like me, Mr. Snyder?”

He frowns. It appears he may know you too well. He takes a deep breath. “Reid, you want me to be honest with you, so I’m going to be. I know I feel something for you. I’m not exactly sure what that is but. It’s there.”

“And so is Noah.”

He looks down at the soda can and nods.

You get it; it’s not like you don’t. But you don’t have to like it. You switch gears.

“And this alternate reality. Is Noah there, too?”

Luke shakes his head. He slowly raises his eyes. “No. Maybe I’m in college and I just. Meet you somehow. I wonder what that might have been like. I mean, I’m not saying I wish I’d never met Noah. I’ve experienced so much with him, so much because of him. But. Now I’m so connected and I feel I can’t. It’s just hard.. to get in a different mindset.”

You absorb that, setting down your now empty water bottle. “Maybe I’d see you in a coffee shop. I frequent those in Dallas and they seem to be your forte, as well.”

He’s interested, surprised that you’re running with this, but interested. “I’d be on my way to work; you’d be sitting around before class or in the afternoon studying. I’d look your way for the first few times. Maybe you’d notice me once or twice and hold my gaze for a moment. And one day I’d come back and you wouldn’t be there.”

Luke waits, and then looks at you like you have three heads. “That’s it?”

“Yep.”

“Oh come on! You’d come over and say hello.”

You pick at the back of the sofa with your nail. “Er, no, I wouldn’t have.”

He looks skeptical. “How come?”

“You still don’t seem to grasp that my work is just that. I may be confident in my professional life but my personal life and it are not mutually exclusive.”

He leans a little closer on the couch, arm braced against the back of it. “So you’re telling me you never would have approached me?”

Your fingers curl into the back of the sofa. “As hard as that is to believe, no, I wouldn’t have.”

“Well, I would have.”

You try not to gulp. “Would you, now?”

“Yep. I would have seen you looking at me a few times. I’d glance over and then back to my book. One day I’d purposely come in later than you, having already figured out your schedule..”

“My god, you’re a stalker,” you gasp out, in mock horror.

“So I’d get on line behind you and strike up a conversation. This would go horribly since you don’t do small talk. Maybe you’d insult me as part of your defense mechanism but as we both know, I can hold my own with the snarkiness.”

You can’t help but smile at that.

“And so I’d ask if you wanted to meet up for coffee here when you’re not on the run and after feigning disinterest you’d finally accept.”

“And?”

“And then we’d end up right where we are now, except it was you who finally accepted.”

You ponder that. “So, what happens when I take you to my Dallas apartment in our alternate universe?”

You think his breathing just hitched. “Well, um. Maybe I was never an alcoholic so we have a few beers. You’re nice and relaxed, which you rarely are because of your work. We’re sitting on your couch but we’re watching a movie instead of facing each other. Reservoir Dogs. You’d make the first move; put your hand on my thigh maybe, because even though you wouldn’t have talked to me on your own, you’re not the timid type when it comes to sex.”

He looks shy at saying the ‘S’ word. That actually turns you on. “What happens after I put my hand on your thigh, Luke?” You didn’t expect your voice to sound that thick with lust.

Luke licks his lips. “I turn my face toward you and meet your eyes. My gaze shifts to your lips and I just wait.”

You move closer, angling your upper body toward his. “Are you waiting for that now?”

“Yes,” he whispers, hoarse.

You take his mouth in a bruising kiss, pushing his body beneath yours; he’s all limbs; hands and legs everywhere, tangling with yours as you cover him completely. He fumbles to place down his soda. At that moment, he knocks something off the coffee table and it falls to the ground with a crash, just as his mouth has opened beneath yours and your tongues are dancing playfully.

“Guys, are you o..”

You both break away, but only with your mouths. Katie’s a little shocked but also satisfied.

“Sorry, carry on.”

“Um,” Luke starts but she’s already back in her bedroom.

You turn to the unwanted cause of the interruption and notice it was just one of Katie’s ridiculously heavy centerpieces that couldn’t break even if you threw it out the window.

Luke is struggling a little beneath you.

“I think I should.”

You kiss him hard and his mouth opens immediately; you suck on his tongue and trail your fingers down his jaw and side of his neck. You pull back to tease his lips with your tongue. “Don’t. You. Fucking. Dare.”

Now he pulls you in for a hard kiss, hand fisting in your hair. God, you’ve wanted to feel that again. “I don’t know what I was saying..” Luke pants and begins mouthing your jaw, kissing down neck, sucking a little.

“Good,” you whisper and begin to unbutton his shirt, determined not to be stopped this time. His hands begin roaming down your back and over your ass. You’re a little surprised but push harder against him, letting him feel you.

“Oh my god..”

“Luke,” you moan, and place biting kisses down his neck and every patch of skin you’re revealing as your hands finally get his shirt open.

“We have to.”

You pull back and cup his face. “If you say stop, I’ll..”

“Move. We have to. Your bedroom.”

Jesus, this is actually happening. You refuse to rejoice until afterward; he could still leave you with your dick in your hand.

You start to get up, a little stiffly, and pull him up after you. Your bodies collide again in a hard, passionate kiss and you stumble a bit toward the bedroom.

He stops and eyes the proximity to Katie’s. You sense the hesitation.

You come up behind him, pulling his back to your chest, snaking your hand around to cup his groin. He pulses beneath your hand. Fuck, it’s been too long.

“Are you a screamer, Luke?”

“Uh.”

You start to take off his shirt, kissing his left shoulder as it’s exposed. You mouth along the back of his neck until the fabric is a ball in your hand. “I’ll rephrase the question.” Your kisses punctuate your next words. “Can. You. Be. Quiet?”

His head falls back against your shoulder and he arches against your hand. You lick a line up the side of his neck. He nods shakily.

“Let’s put that to the test.”

When you’re inside your bedroom you push him against the door and drop to your knees. His head falls back with a soft thud and his hands immediately go to your hair. You press your face up against his groin and mouth his jeans. Then you slowly unzip, unbutton and allow him to fall free from his boxers. The first touch of your tongue to the underside all but sends him into spasm. Jesus, the kid is acting as if he’s *never* had this done to him. His hands are rhythmically clenching and unclenching in your hair. He isn’t going to last long so you’d better make this count. You suck him in hard and fast. The sounds coming from him are faint and you look up. One hand has now left your hair and is thrown over his mouth. His eyes are squeezed shut. It’s the hottest thing you’ve ever seen but only one thing would be hotter. You let him slide out and lick at the head.

“Look at me.”

His cock jumps at your words. You look up at him, teasing the head with your tongue, his eyes are burning a hole in your skull and you know he never breaks the stare as you take him all the way in. His hand spasms again in your hair and you pick up speed, his hips start jerking upward and he fucks your mouth. You encourage him on with little moans and finally there’s a muffled cry and his whole body shudders as he comes in your mouth. You swallow and pull off, licking him lazily until he retreats from the sensitivity.

He stands there for long moments, gasping and shuddering against the door as you kneel before him, caressing his thighs, his legs, kissing every bone in his leg that he wouldn’t be able to name. He has a magnificent body.

He finally gathers strength to claw at your shoulders and tug you upward. When you’re at his level he kisses you, slower this time but still with hunger. His hand tentatively begins to stroke the front of your jeans and you gasp into his mouth.

“Luke..”

His eyes meet yours and he lowers the zipper, slowly. You start walking backwards to the bed. You both back onto it, never breaking the kiss. He climbs on top of you, hand now inside your jeans and then fingering along the slit of your boxers until. You gasp loudly against his lips. He proceeds to kiss your harder. You grab his hand and pull away from him. He looks at you confused until your tongue darts out to his palm and you start licking in broad strokes. His eyes fall shut and when you’re done, you return his hand to its rightful position.

“Touch me,” you whisper.

He does; he also pulls your shirt up so he can lick and nip at your chest, tonguing your nipples into hardness. He breaks away long enough to rid you of the offending material. Then his mouth is back, sliding lower, until he’s finally suckling the head. You have to stop yourself from fucking his mouth. Instead, you grab his hair but you don’t pull or push. He breathes heavily as he licks along your cock and then down to your balls, teasing. Finally, he sucks you in, slowly, not taking much. It’s fine, it’s perfect, it’s never been better. You breathe out his name with a soft gush of air.

He starts to take you in a little faster now and your toes curl up inside your shoes and seriously, you still have your shoes on? You manage to toe them off; what can you say, you have experience with this, and throw your head back as he takes you closer and closer. His hands are everywhere; curling around the base of your cock, scratching up and down your sides, your abdomen, raking along your outer thighs.

“Tell me you want this.”

Who said that? Oh, fuck, it was you.

He’s panting, licking at the inside of your thigh. “I want this.”

You pull him up by the shoulders and bite at his lips. “Tell me you want this as much as I do.”

He gasps, “Reid. I want this just as much. God, I want to make you come.”

You nearly do at those words. You push at his shoulders a little for him to go back down and he does. He sucks you with earnest now, intent. “Fucking amazing, Luke. Your mouth. God, I.”

His fingers come up to your lips and you suck on one, doing to it what he’s doing to your cock.

“Make me come, baby.”

He moans around your cock, giving one finally vicious swipe of tongue and then you’re coming apart in his mouth and you’re surprised how much he’s able to catch. He’s probably breathing as hard as you are. You can hardly see straight. All you know is he’s fallen against your chest and your arm has come around to hold him there.

It’s a few moments before both of your breathing has evened out enough to talk in full sentences. When it does, he’s the first to go. “So I hate to tell you…”

You wait. Nothing.

“Yesss?” You poke at his ribs.

“Your least favorite word…”

“Don’t even.”

“..I think you’re performing it right now.”

“Am not,” you huff, defiantly. So your arm is draped across his body. No big deal. It certainly isn’t.. snuggling.

“Whatever you say, Dr. Oliver,” he smiles and sn—moves closer.

Perhaps you’re smiling too. You’ll face the world soon; he probably won’t even stay the night and tomorrow alternate realities will end and they’ll be a hospital and a patient that’s slowly getting his eyesight back. But right now, maybe, just maybe, there’s snuggling.

[End]


End file.
